Ok, I am back! After taking a sabbatical from trip reports for 5 months, here is the first installation from a series of trip reports. Mid-August to mid-November 2007 saw the craziest of my travel plans. 69 flights totalling 175,028 kms on 35 airlines, visiting 49 airports in 34 countries in all 6 continents. And, here is the best part … all of them were part of a 4 month break from life … pure vacation, and pure food for the mind, body, and soul. Together, they mounted to 21/2 round-the-worlds that was truly insane. As usual, all long haul flights were on Business or First Class; short haul was on Economy Class.

Go Air (G8) was one of the 2 airlines in India I had never flown (Paramount being the other) and so I took a break from my general India sightseeing to have a succession of flights. First up was IC 173 from BOM to MAA documented here. G8 was the second leg.

II > Pre-Flight:

a) Before Airport:
Booking for the Go Air flight was done at their website at www.goair.in . The website is an absolute delight, and should serve as a model for other airlines around the world. One can buy the ticket, modify the same, chose a seat, modify a seat and chose an exit row seat for an additional INR 100. Moreover, during the entire process, there were no glitches or errors.

b) At Airport:
Go Air (like all its cohorts) utilizes the Kamraj Domestic Terminal at Chennai International. Its relatively modern and clean – though the inside comes nowhere close to BOM 1B, CCU, or my favourite Indian airport at GAU. Coming in from the IC flight, I made a mad dash from the arrivals to departures, had my G8 ticket and ID verified by security, and somehow managed to make it to the G8 counter with 1 minute to spare. Interestingly, exit window was open, and I was pleased so far at the outcome. As I made a rush to the empty security check (only 1 other flight at this hour), the security guard said, “Sir, what is the rush? Don’t hurry … be happy” . I love Indian security guards . Oh, and he also told me that the G8 flight had announced a delay more than an hour back … something the check-in agent had forgot to mention … even after I asked, “Is the flight on-time? Grrrr”. Anyway, no announcement or apology was given for the delay. When I asked the airport manager when “wheels up” would be … he said, “soon”. When I asked him 30 minutes later, he said, “flight is on time … don’t worry.” Uugh. Flight was already over an hour delayed. Anyway, approaching the 1:30 delay mark, departure was finally announced and of course, the ILBST is well alive at Chennai. While people at Bombay were super organized, this ethic had not yet reached here. Everyone made a mad dash … despite having assigned seats. Anyway, boarding was through aero-bridge and I was soon on board a tired looking dimly lit 320. Now, as I was storing my carry-on, push-back commenced! What the hell? The Spanish captain REALLY wanted to get back to BOM. The last time this happened was on SQ out of AMS last year. G8 is all Y and the load was around 90%.

Airport - External:

(MAA Domestic)

Check-In:

(Other counters at this check-in clusters)

Airport - Internal:

(Departure Board)

Scenes of the tarmac:

NONE

Lounge

NONE

Boarding:

(Boarding area lounge)

(Back to ILBST)

III> In-Flight:

a) Service Schedule + Impressions:
Everything is buy-on-board (BOB). I was super thirsty so bought a bottle of water. After BOB, an auction was run … sort of an in-flight shop.

b) Aircraft + Seats: G8’s has an all 320 fleet painted in various different colors. This “orange” 320 looked tired inside. While exit row seating legroom was generous, all the rows were super cramped, and I was not a big fan of the orange seat covers. Finally, my seat did not recline . To those who have flown G8 …do the covers change with the aircraft?

Aircraft:

(Ok, um … is it obvious that I did not take this picture?)

Views from Aircraft:

NONE

Seat Leg-Room:

Seat Recline + Angle View:

Cabin:

(YAY - VIVA! PlaneHunter, what does this say about its pedigree?)

c) Meal + Beverage:
Everything was buy-on-board … including water! I had flown on DN, SG, and 6E and all of them had free water. Not good. Moreover, their was no catalogue of what could actually be bought onboard.

(I miss IC – water costs INRs!!!)

d) Inflight Entertainment:

No IFE. In-flight magazine “GLADRAGS” is not really an in-flight magazine. It is basically a Go Air branded copy of the regular Indian fashion magazine “GLADRAGE” … both the airline and the magazine are owned by some rich Indian family.

(In-flight magazines, Boarding Passes, etc.)

e) Crew:
This was the first crew I have flown on an Indian carrier that never smiled, nor looked cheery, and did not attempt to help anyone store their bags. They did the in-flight sales and quickly disappeared. It took my around 15 minutes to respond to my row-mate’s simple request for H20. Finally, not even a attempt of “thank you for flying” at disembarkation.

IV> Post-Flight:

I cannot wait until the new HYD. Old HYD is small, decrepit, and at that hour, totally shut.

(Other aircrafts parked next to us at HYD)

(HYD Arrivals)

V> Impressions + Scores:

I understand G8 is trying to position themselves as an ULCC, but that does not mean you suck out humanity from the experience. Both SG and 6E do a great job and I even prefer DN to this crap of an airline. Ok, so you charge for everything … but is it too hard for the crew to smile and care? Based on this experience, I cannot recommend G8 and will actively seek to fly a different carrier … even if the price is a few hundred rupees more.

I had a hard laugh when reading that sign. According to Airfleets.net, there are two Go Air aircraft (VT-WAC and VT-WAD) that used to fly with TA as N482TA and N483TA, which should explain the Spanish signs.

It reminds me of LV-BAY, an AU M83 former Flying Finn I flew a year ago. I was fascinated with those Finnish-language signs in the restrooms.

Seems G8 has changed a hell lot, i flew the same aircraft both ways in Feb for the BLR airshow it seemed clean and neat and crew were not unfriendly per se but they were not all that enthusiastic as well.

I know you hear this a lot, but these TRs are great! I flew the same leg around the same time last year and so it was particularly interesting to see the pictures.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 4):...you mention that the plane was an "orange" model. Strange, because VT-WAC is "blue" and VT-WAD is "pink". The "orange" ones are VT-WAB (ex-America West) and VT-WAF (delivered new in 11/07).
Btw - GoAir also operated several Iberworld birds for a while (VT-WAV/WAW/WAX/WAY/WAZ), but the last one left the fleet in 05/07.

Its also possible that they pulled the seats out of one of them and interchanged them onto *AB or *AF. After all we're talking about an airline that charges for water!

For aeroplanes that have a passenger
seating configuration... the projected opening of the exit
provided may not be obstructed and there must
be no interference in opening the exit by seats,
..., or other protrusions (including seatbacks
in any position) for a distance from that exit not
less than the width of the narrowest passenger
seat installed on the aeroplane.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 4):As Marambio already said, VT-WAC and VT-WAD were once operated by TACA (which could explain the Spanish signs), but...you mention that the plane was an "orange" model. Strange, because VT-WAC is "blue" and VT-WAD is "pink". The "orange" ones are VT-WAB (ex-America West) and VT-WAF (delivered new in 11/07).

Well, it is quite normal for US carriers to have placards as well sefety cards in Spanish- for these hughe ethic group (Latinos & Hispanics) travelling anboard.

Quoting Marambio (Reply 3):I had a hard laugh when reading that sign. According to Airfleets.net, there are two Go Air aircraft (VT-WAC and VT-WAD) that used to fly with TA as N482TA and N483TA, which should explain the Spanish signs.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 4):...you mention that the plane was an "orange" model. Strange, because VT-WAC is "blue" and VT-WAD is "pink". The "orange" ones are VT-WAB (ex-America West) and VT-WAF (delivered new in 11/07).

= Ya. I thought it was funny as well ... especially because the Spanish was so detailed. PH, I have no idea ... but it was definitely an ORANGE model. See the interiors and you'll get that. Perhaps they repainted? Or, perhaps I was mistaken ... it was late evening and might have been pink?

Quoting Karan69 (Reply 5):
Seems G8 has changed a hell lot, i flew the same aircraft both ways in Feb for the BLR airshow it seemed clean and neat and crew were not unfriendly per se but they were not all that enthusiastic as well.

= G8 crew were definitely not friendly. A marked departure from crews usually onboard flights in India.

Quoting Debonair (Reply 7):It's a legal requirement on all Y180 equipped A320's that the 12th row is not reclining, to "protect" the 2nd emergency exit.

= Isn't 11 the non-recline exit usually in a single class 320 and 12 the recline now?

From my experience, most airlines that I have been on with a 320 have had a non-recline first row and a recline second row. Also in your example of Thomas Cook, there is NO indication whether the rows are recline or not-recline. How did you extrapolate your conclusions?

Finally, I find it amusing that Thomas Cook's URL refers to it as the "Boeing A320". An end to the B vs. A wars?

Hi, I am working many years in aviation business, worked and flown on many A320's and A319 with 2exits... As I already told earlier above, first row of emergency exit is not reclining to protect the 2nd exit (behind), just as well as the row in front. The 2nd exit row is reclining (on most airliners) as there is no exit behind. So matching your answer correctly.

The row-numbers 11 & 12 are the standard row numbers for Y180 A320's, Thomas Cook is just an example...

Nice TR! Love the pics... took me back to time I spent working/traveling in India. Been to all the usual suspect airports, and have flown GoAir a number of times... The interiors of their a/c do not change with respect to the tail color, no. As to their shabby seats (seat covers), that seems to be the norm in intra-India travel. I have never experienced anything different, on any carrier.

Thanks for sharing... you are truly lucky to have had such exotic avia-experiences around the world!!

Quoting Debonair (Reply 14):Hi, I am working many years in aviation business, worked and flown on many A320's and A319 with 2exits... As I already told earlier above, first row of emergency exit is not reclining to protect the 2nd exit (behind), just as well as the row in front. The 2nd exit row is reclining (on most airliners) as there is no exit behind. So matching your answer correctly.

The row-numbers 11 & 12 are the standard row numbers for Y180 A320's, Thomas Cook is just an example...

According to Flight Memory, I seem to have flown 134 A320 flights in my lifetime . I think we are in agreement. I was confused on how you guesed both were non-recline rown on Thomas Cook's "Boeing A 320". It was a simple miscommunication.

Do you think we should email Thomas Cook? I still think "Boeing A 320" is funny.

= In Y cabin. They were OK. The entire airline felt without a vision. It is hard to explain.

Quoting VSMike (Reply 15):As to their shabby seats (seat covers), that seems to be the norm in intra-India travel. I have never experienced anything different, on any carrier.

= Actually, my experiences on intra-India travel have usually been to the contrary. I have found the cabins (particularly seats and their covers) of 9W, IT, 6E, and SG to be immaculate. IC, S2 are much cleaner than domestic U.S. Some of AI's cabin leaves much to be desired.

Interesting to see Gladrags as their inflight magazine. It is basically a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, except every issue is like that. Typical big-city rag. Must be quite interesting to see some of the more conservative / small-town Indian passengers react to seeing the magazine covers!